Lantern.



PORTER C. BEMIS, OF RUSSELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

LANTERN..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 670,913, dated March 26, 1901. Application iiled November 30, 1900. berial No. 38,151. @lo model.)

rTo all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, PORTER C. BEMIS, a citizen of the United States of America,and a resident ofRussell, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lanterns, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in ro lanterns, and more particularly lanterns for use on railroads, where lanterns of two colors vare required, as white and red or white and green.

The object of this invention is to provide a =r5 Vconstruction of lantern which is convertible from, for instance, one showing a white light to one showing a red light, whereby fewer lanterns are necessary.

The invention consists in the constructions :zo and arrangements of parts, all substantially as hereinafter described, and set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which the improved lantern is f2 5 illustrated, and in which- Figure 1 is a substantially central vertical 4sectional view of the portion of the lantern yembodying the present improvements, the Vsecondary or change color globe being go shown as in its elevated position around the place of the lamp-flame. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view as taken about on the line a 0c, Fig. 1, the change-color globe being shown as in its lowered position, whereby the 3 5 light shown by the lantern will have the color of the primary or usual lantern globe. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the detail construc tion of a peculiar form of joint employed in the devices for operating and holding in place 4o the secondary globe.

Similar characters of reference represent corresponding parts in all the views.

In the drawings, A represents a railroadlantern of ordinary construction, except as to additions thereto which constitute the present invention to be hereinafter described,of which The globe F has at its top the usual sheetmetal hood G, to which and to the ring E is secured the open-work wire guard H, and the lantern-top has the swinging handle J.

MV represents the secondary globe or glass cylindrical shell inside the globe F, of a different color from the usual glass globe F, and which has its position either down about 6o the body of the lamp outside of the lamp casing or socket C and between it and the outer wall or shell B2 or elevated to the location about the burner-flame of the lamp, as shown in Fig. l. The secondary globe Mis provided at its lower circularedge with a trough-shaped ring a, to which are secured two studs b b, depending therefrom and peculiarly jointed to the'vertical members CZ of the wire bail-like appliance N. The form of the joint between 7o the parts b and d is shown in Fig. 3, wherein the upper extremities of the members 0l d are formed tubular and split, while the lower end portions of the studs b are attenuated and formed with Wedge-points j', entered within 75 the tubular upper ends of the members d and united by the pivot g. The bail N may be swung from vertical to horizontal positions relatively to the parts b, so that when in the vertical disposition (shown in Fig. l) the bail 8o may be pushed up to elevate the secondary globe about the lamp-flame, tubular vertical guides h h being provided which open through the bottom of the lantern and permity the sliding upwardly through them of the alined parts b b d CZ.

t represents a clip or catch supported by and under the bottom of the lantern, at its center, into engagement with which the horizontal member of the bail catches when the 9o parts are elevated to position shown in Fig. 1.

When the parts are lowered to bring the pivotal points f f below the bottom of the lantern, the bail may be swung to the hori- Zontal position, (shown in Fig.2, )closely under the hollowed lantern-base B, and retained by the clip or catch m. These catches lm are duplicated and arranged at diametrically oppolantern B is the bottoni or base, and C the casing or socket 'for the lamp D, outside of which is the usual annular wall B2, formed as a part of the lantern-base and into which the ring or shell E for the lantern-globe F is removably tted and confined.

site points under the base-shell B, sothat the bail may be swung and retained at either loo side. Spring reaction of the parts of the bail extrelnities,at either side of the split therein, retains the parts b (l rigidly as continuations one of the other when they are alined, so

that they may be pushed without buckling upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1 and so that the secondary globe may be sustained Without tipping or slanting from the proper axially vertical position.

Inside of the annular wall. B2, formed as part'of the lantern-base, and between such annular wall and the secondary globe F is an upstanding annular shell or wall P, suitably perforated so as not tointerfere with the draft of the lantern, as usual. This annular wall is about of the same height as the globe F and serves as a guard to entirely obscure said globe F when it is in its lowered position, so that there can be no showing of a colored light corresponding to the color of the said globe when thelatter is downwardly withdrawn.

fm2 m2 represent small metallic lugs or braces provided at and depending below the base of the lantern, against which the side members of the bail may be brought and steadied when the globe F is in its lowered position and the bail is in its horizontallyswung position, as indicated in Fig. 2, so that any swinging or shaking of the lantern will not result in the shifting or shucking of the inner or secondary globe.

The inner globe of red or other colored glass is shown as inclosed in a cage or open- Work Wire frame represented by n, the same serving as means to strengthen, protect, and

' render more durable the inner globe, as manition of which is wedge-shaped, a rod or member d having its upper end portion formed. tubular and longitudinally split, and within which the wedge-shaped extremity of the said stud b is entered and pivotally connected, and a guide-opening, through the bottom of the lantern, in which said jointed parts b d may slide substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A lantern having the usual outer globe, and therewithin a movable secondary globe or annular glass shell of a different color,a device having a connection with the lower portion of the inner globe, and adapted for a sliding movement through, and accessible below, the bottom of the lantern and comprisinga joint whereby a portion thereof may be swung from a vertical to a horizontal position, a catch for retaining said device iu its elevated position, a catch for engaging said device in its lower horizontally-swung position for the confinement thereof, and the steadying lug or brace m2 provided at and depending below the bottom of the lantern, on which the horizontally-swung portion of said jointed device bears, substantially as described.

3. In a lantern of the character described in combination the lantern-base provided with the annular upstanding guard-wall, the depending central clip or catch, the depending tubular guides, the catch or catches sidewise located at and below the bottom, the usual globe, the inner secondary globe of a different color, having the depending studs b ZJ with wedge-shaped extremitiesf, the bail having the extremities of its upstanding members longitudinally split and formed tubular, within which said partsfare entered and to which they are transversely pivoted, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

Signed by me at Springfield,Massachusetts, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.A

PORTER o. BEMIs.

u Witnesses:

WM. S. BELLows, C. F. WHITE. 

